On some levels, of course, baseball is just a game designed for sunny afternoons in the fresh air – a game played by boys and girls, grown men and women; for fun and for profit; in towns and in cities; on mowed fields and concrete schoolyards; and in the urban cathedrals of major league parks. Through its rules, realities–and myths–baseball has reflected the struggles and injustices of the American way of life as well as its virtues.

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Bring this subject into focus through the following chapters. These stories take exploration of the main story further by providing more detail for you to learn and explore.

Debut of the American Turf Register and subsequent emergence of new school of journalists, "the apostles of play".

1845

New York Knickerbocker Club publishes rules of baseball developed by Alexander J. Cartwright

1858

Teams in Long Island begin to charge admission to games

1859

In first intercollegiate game Amherst beats Williams by score of 73 to 32

1860

Civil War brings standardization of rules.
This is followed by formal division into amateur and professional ballplayers
Henry Chadwick pioneers the "box score" in the New York Clipper (By 1870s teams are keeping box scores and yearly stats)

1862

William H. Cammeyer builds, in Brooklyn, the first enclosed baseball field.

The Philadelphia Pythians become the first all-black team ever to take the field against an all-white team. In a financially lucrative exhibition, they soundly trounced Philadelphia's City Items, 27-17.

1871

Ten teams organize the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, the first professional league. By 1875 Philadelphia has three teams in the league.

1872

Bud Fowler becomes the first African American to play for a professional nine.

1876

Organization of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs

1880

Joseph Pulitzer produces the first sports page in a major daily newspaper.
African Americans are banned from professional baseball

1882

Organization of second league, the American Association, which breaks National League monopoly and includes teams in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh

1884

Union Association formed, including teams in Altoona, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh

1885

Frank Thompson organizes first black professional team.

1887

Opening of Baker Bowl, which seats 12,500; rebuilt in 1895 and later called Baker Bowl.

1890

Players' National League of Baseball Clubs organized, with teams in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

1901

Formation of American League and debut of the Philadelphia Athletics.

1903

First World Series is played in Pittsburgh and Boston.

1909

Shibe Park opens. The nation's first concrete and steel ballpark, it held 35,000 fans.

1919

Sportswriter Hugh Fullerton declares baseball "the greatest single force working for Americanization."

1921

KDKA announcer Harold Arlin gives play-by-play of the Pirates defeat of the Phillies in the first radio broadcast of a sporting event.

1922

In the Federal League case, the Supreme Court exempts major league baseball from federal antitrust legislation by declaring it an "exhibition" rather than a business. No other professional sport receives this designation.

1934

First legal Sunday major league game played in Philadelphia.

1937

Pittsburgh's Homestead Grays baseball team wins the first of nine consecutive Negro League championships series.